Reversible rotary motor



April 14, 1936. F. E. TERRILL 2,037,351

REVERSIBLE ROTARY MOTOR Filed Jan. 9, 1951 4 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR. Frank/m t'. Terr/U A TTORNE Y.

April 14, 1936. TERRlLL 2,037,351

REVERSIBLE ROTARY MOTOR Filed Jan. 9, 1951 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 R II l INVENTOR. Frank/f0 f. 7rr/7/ v JMzm/wm A TTORNE Y.

April 1936-v F. E. TERRILL. 2,037,351

REVERSIBLE ROTARY MOTOR Filed Jan. 9, '1951 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 April 1936- F. E. TERRILL REVERSIBLE ROTARY MOTOR I Filed Jan. 9, 1931 '4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Fe verse 196a ers e Patented Apr. 14, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE REVERSIBLE ROTARY MOTOR Application January 9,

6 Claims.

This invention reates to fluid pressure operated rotary motors and especially to reversible rotary motors. More specifically it concerns rotary motors of the movable vane type in which a vane is mounted upon and rotates with the rotary element.

The invention is applicable to motors operated by an expansible fluid such as steam, air, or gas. In rotary motors of. the described type difiiculty has been encountered in keeping the vanes in the desired close contact with the cylinder wall. The defect of leakage of pressure fluid past the vanes is more noticeable when starting the, motor than when it is up to speed, although at all times leakage is apparent with its resulting drop in power unless some means are provided to keep the vanes inv positive contact with the cylinder wall. Springs and other devices placed under the vanes have not proved satisfactory. Fluid pressure acting on the vanes has produced a successful one-way or non-reversible motor, but heretofore no method had been developed or was known of applying this principle to reversible motors. Hence the present invention is the result of much study and experimentation to overcome a serious defect in reversible motors and to make available a really successful and practical motor of this. character.

In order to illustrate the invention one con- 30 crete embodiment thereof is shown in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view;

Fig. 2 is a right end elevational view with the operating handle and the inlet and exhaust pipes removed;

Fig. 3' is a view of the cylinder and the housing therefor partly in side elevation and partly broken away and in section substantially on the line 3--3 of Fig. 4;

Fig. 4 is a transverse sectional view substantially on the line l'---4 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 is a similar transverse sectional view substantially on the line 5--5 of Fig. 1, with the rotor omitted;

Figs. 6 and 7 are fragmentary sectional views conforming to Figs. 4 and 5, respectively, but showing the control valve in neutral position;

Fig. 8 is an end elevational view of the rotor illustrating the vanes in operative position and showing the rotor shaft in section;

Fig. 9' is a sectional view of the control valve, the section being taken along the line 9-9 of Fig. 1;

Fig; 10' is a composite sectional view made up of sections taken in different planes, as indicated 1931, Serial No. 507,542

by the broken line Ill-40 in Fig. 5, which extends through the passage l5;

Fig. 11 is another composite sectional view, symmetrically opposite to Fig. 10 and looking in the opposite direction through the passage It When the motor is arranged for reverse rotation; and

Figs. 12 and 13 are sectional views similar to Figs. 4 and 5 respectively except that the controls are arranged for reverse rotation.

The embodiment of the invention chosen for the purpose of illustration comprises a motor having a housing I and cylinder heads 2 and 3-, which are maintained in assembled relation by bolts 4. Heads 2 and 3 provide bearings 2a and 3a, respectively, for the shaft ends of rotor 5. Shaft end 5a projects beyond head 3 and bearing 3a to provide a powertake-off. In the upper part of housing I control valve 6 is supported for limited rotary movement with its stem 6a projecting through a stufing box 1 of any suitable or desired type on cylinder head 2, an operating handle 61) being secured to the outer end of the stem. Stops 6c and 6d (Fig. 2) on valve 6 are arranged to engage a fixed stop 8 (Figs. 1 and 2) on head 2 to limit the movement of valve 6. A fluid pressure supply pipe 9 is mounted on cylinder head. 2 and connects with one end of the chamber in which valve 6 is mounted while an exhaust pipe l secured to cylinder head 3 leads from the opposite end. A partition 6e across valve 6 separates the fluid pressure supply from the exhaust.

Rotor is eccentrically mounted within a rotor chamber provided by a cylinder II which takes the form of a cylindrical liner secured in housmg I. Rotor 5, as clearly shown in transverse section in Fig. 4 and in end elevation in Fig. 8, has radial passages or slots l2 in which are slidably supported vanes or blades I 3. Fluid pressure is utilized positively to hold the blades l3 in contact with liner II. To this end the motor is so arranged that pressure fluid is first admitted directly beneath blades l3 and is then conducted into the rotor chamber. For this purpose the extremities of slots l2 are enlarged at their inner ends for short distances to form ports l2w (Fig. 8). From the base of slots 12 the pressure fluid passes through a plurality of series of radial ports l4 (Figs. 1, 4 and 8), each series underlying one of the blades [3, although there may be, as shown, fewer series than blades. The axial passages I 2a are long enough to extend to the outermost radial ports M in each series, from which 55 point some of the pressure fluid enters the nearest radial port while the rest passes under the blade I3 where the slot I2 is narrow and then out through the other radial ports. With this arrangement the blades are forced outwardly by fluid pressure in both directions of rotation of rotor 5, inasmuch as the fluid first passes under the blades and then out in the same way irrespective of direction of rotation.

Housing I is provided (Figs. 5 and 6) with an inlet passage l5 for one direction of rotation of the rotor and with a passage 16 for the other direction of rotation, a single port 6 in valve 6 being arranged to connect the one or the other of these passages to the motive fluid supply. Housing I also has alternatively selectible exhaust chambers l1, l8 which may be connected to exhaust by ports 6g and 6h respectively on the valve 6. Inlet passages l5 and I6 preferably extend to both ends of the rotor chamber and communicate with the latter by means of ports l5a and 5a, respectively, in cylinder closures or end plates 19 and 20. As shown in Figs. 10 and 11 each inlet passage IE (or IE) comprises an up er port H5 (H6), a horizontal duct 2l5 (2H5) and branch arms 3l5 (316) terminating at the ports [5a (IBa). Exhaust ports Ila and [8a, which may take the form of elongate angular slots, are provided in cylinder H to effect communication between exhaust chambers I1 and I8, respectively, and the rotor chamber. An inspection of Fig. 5 will show that inlet ports l5a and I6a for effecting rotation of rotor 5 in opposite directions are upon one side of a plane passing through the center of the rotor chamber, or of the axis of rotor 5 itself, and intersecting exhaust ports Ho. and l8a in the cylinder.

Figs. 1, 2, 6 and 7 show control valve 6 in neutral position. Figs. 4 and 5 show the valve set to drive rotor 5 in a clockwise direction as indicated by the arrows in Fig. 4. The fluid pressure enters the motor through supply pipe 9, passes through ports 2| to the inlet side of control valve 6 through port 6 (Fig. 5) into passage [5 which opens into rotor chamber by ports l5a in closure plates l9 and 20. As ports I2a at the ends of grooves I2 in rotor 5 register with ports I511, the pressure fluid enters beneath blades l3 forcing and holding them in engagement with cylinder H and then passes out through ports 14 to the right side of the rotor chamber (Fig. 4) as explained above. It is thus effective against blades l3 to cause the rotor to turn in a clockwise direction. The pressure fluid thus admitted also passes through exhaust ports I'Ia at the right into exhaust chamber H, but inasmuch as port 6g in valve 6 is out of register with this chamber, the fluid, received in pulses from the radial ports i4, is trapped in the chamber ll which then acts as a pressure fluid supply chamber or accumulator for pressure fluid for the clockwise operation of the motor. As blades l3 pass beyond exhaust ports l8a, the pressure fluid escapes into exhaust chamber 18 through registering port 6h in valve 6 and thence to atmosphere through exhaust pipe II]. On reverse movement of the valve, supply port 6 will register with inlet passage !6 supplying pressure fluid to the rotor chamber through ports I6a whereupon rotor 5 will be driven in a counter-clockwise direction, the exhaust pressure fluid then escaping through ports Ila, chamber [Land registering port 6g in valve 6, in which instance chamber l8 becomes the supply chamber reservoir for pressure fluid operating to drive the rotor in the counter-clockwise direction.

From the above it will be apparent that the present invention provides a reversible fluid pressure motor in which the ports and passages are so arranged as to secure identically the same power output in both directions of rotation, that the blades are positively held in contact with the cylinder chamber by pressure fluid in both directions of rotation, that an accumulator for pressure fluid is provided in direct connection with the rotor chamber so that the rotative impulse is sustained rather than fluctuating, and that the motor is simple and compact involving few parts which can be manufactured and assembled at low cost.

While the invention has been herein disclosed in what is now considered to be a preferred form, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the specific details thereof, but covers all changes, modifications, and adaptations within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. A reversible rotary fluid pressure motor comprising a cylinder, end plates for the cylinder, a rotor mounted in said cylinder and engaging said end plates, said rotor being eccentric with respect to the cylinder to form a substantially crescent-shaped chamber between the rotor and the cylinder, vanes on said rotor for engagement with the cylinder, a pair of supply openings in one of the end plates, one on each side of a plane bisecting said rotor and chamber, said opening being alternatively connected to a source of fluid pressure, said rotor having passages extending inwardly from the end plate and adapted to register in succession with the openings in the latter, said passages each extending lengthwise along the inner edge of a vane, other passages in the rotor establishing communication between the inwardly extending passages and the chamber on the same side as the supply port connected thereto, but each connected to its associated inwardly extending passage at a point spaced from the end plate, whereby pressure fluid must first pass along the inner edge of the vanes to reach said other passages, alternatively operable exhaust ports connected respectively to the opposite sides of said chamber, and means for controlling the supply of pressure fluid to drive said rotor in either direction as desired, said controlling means supplying pressure fluid in the same direction through the same inwardly extending passages irrespective of the direction of rotation and comprising a control device and ports and passages arranged in one position of the control device to feed live pressure fluid to the supply opening on one side of the rotor only and close the exhaust port on that side and open the exhaust port on the other side, and in another position of the control device to reverse the supply and exhaustconnections with respect to the sides of the motor.

2. A reversible rotary fluid pressure motor according to claim 1 in which both end plates have similar supply openings connected at the same time to a common source of fluid pressure and the inwardly extending passages lead from opp site ends of the rotor to convey pressure fluid to a common outlet in said chamber.

3. In a reversible rotary motor, a cylinder, a rotor eccentrically mounted therein to form a crescent-shaped chamber between the rotor and cylinder, said rotor having radial slots, blades mounted in said slots, end plates closing said cylinder and engaging the ends of the rotor, each end plate having a pair of pressure fluid supply ports symmetrically arranged on opposite sides of a plane bisecting said chamber and rotor, said rotor having ports adapted to register successively with said supply ports, and having passages adapted to convey pressure fluid therefrom along the inner edges of the blades to drive them outwardly and then to the inlet side of the crescent-shaped chamber, an exhaust port on each side of the motor communicating with the corresponding side of said chamber, and means for controlling the operation of the motor and comprising an adjustable control member, means for admitting live pressure fluid to the end plate supply ports and passages on one side only of the rotor and simultaneously closing the exhaust port on that side and opening the exhaust port on the opposite side for driving the rotor forwardly, and means for admitting live pressure fluid to the end plate supply ports and passages on the opposite side only of the rotor and simultaneously closing the exhaust port on said opposite side and opening the exhaust port on said one side for driving the rotor in the opposite direction.

4. In a reversible rotary fluid pressure motor, a rotor of substantially cylindrical shape having radial slots, blades mounted in said slots, said rotor being eccentrically mounted in a cylinder to provide a crescent-shaped chamber between the rotor and cylinder, end plates closing the cylinder and engaging the respective ends oif the rotor, an outer casing surrounding the cylinder and forming pockets, one on each side of the cylinder, said cylinder having on each side one or more ports connecting the associated pocket with the chamber, said ports terminating short of the intermediate portion of the chamber, one of the end plates having a pair of rotor inlet ports arranged on opposite sides of a plane bisecting the chamber and rotor, said rotor having passages registering successively with said inlet ports to admit live pressure fluid to the inner ends of the slots to force the blades outwardly and having other passages leading from the inner ends oi the slots to conduct pressure fluid to the chamber on the same side of the rotor as the associated inlet port, an exhaust port for each of the pockets, a source of live pressure fluid, and means for controlling the operation of the motor, said means comprising an adjustable control member, means for connecting the live pressure fluid source to the rotor inlet port on one side only of the rotor and for opening the pocket exhaust port on the opposite side only for driving the rotor forwardly, and means for connecting the fluid pressure source to the rotor inlet port on said opposite side only and for opening the pocket exhaust port on said one side only for driving the rotor in reverse di rection. V

5. A reversible compressed air motor comprising a stator including a cylinder, a rotor of generally cylindrical shape eccentrically mounted therein to provide between the rotor and a source of live air through the end plates, said stator having a pair of selectively operable live air ports, one on each side of the rotor with which said rotor passages are adapted to register in succession, said rotor having other passages leading from the inner ends of the slots to the peripheral surface of the rotor, whereby live air admitted to the inner ends of the slots flows to the chamber, one of said other passages leading from two consecutive rotor slots and discharging through a common port leading to the chamber between two corresponding blades, said stator having a pair of selectively operable exhaust ports, one on each side of the rotor and leading from the corresponding side of the chamber to atmosphere, and means for controlling the direction of rotation of the motor, said control means comprising an adjustable control member and means adapted inone position of the control member to admit live air to the live air port on one side only and to open the exhaust port on the opposite side only, and means adapted in another position of the control member to admit live air to the opposite side only and to open the exhaust port on said one side, the other exhaust port being closed to trap the air in the live side of the chamber, and vice versa.

6. A reversible fluid pressure motor comprising a stator having a cylinder, a rotor mounted therein to provide a chamber between the rotor and cylinder, said stator having at each side of the cylinder an auxiliary chamber connecting it through ports in the cylinder with the corresponding side of the first-mentioned chamber, said rotor having a pair of supply ports one on each side of the cylinder and connected through passages in the rotor to the first-mentioned chamber at the corresponding side to supply pressure fluid thereto, each auxiliary chamber having an exhaust port, and means for controlling the operation of the motor comprising a control member having ports and passages adapted in one position to feed pressure fluid to the supply port on one side only and to open the exhaust for the auxiliary chamber on the other side and to close the auxiliary chamber on said one side to convert it to a pressure chamber, said control member and cooperating ports and passages being adapted in another position of the control member to reverse the live pressure and exhaust connections to the respective sides of the rotor for driving it in the opposite directions.

FRANKLIN E. TERRILL.

CERTIFICATE or CORRECTION.

Patent No. 2,057,551. April 14, 1966.

FRANKLIN HTEBBILL.

the printed. specification of as follows: Page 1, first 2 first column, line '75,

line 55, claim 1, for Patent should be read.

he record of It is hereby certified. that error appears in the above numbered patent requiring correction column, line 1 for "reates" read relates; page strike out the word "reservoir"; and second column, "opening" read openings; and that the said. Letters with these corrections therein that the same may conform to t the case in the Patent Office.

Signed and sealed this 19th day of May, A. D. 1956.

Leslie Frazer (Seal) Acting Commissioner of Patents. 

